The casting rod having a pistol grip type handle is one of the most popular configurations among fishermen because it provides a secure, comfortable grip for fisherman who cast lures and retrieve them for many hours at a time.
In the past, casting rods of the pistol grip type have been made with a graphite rod blank, and the handle as separate parts and of dissimilar materials with these two parts being connected at a joint. This construction using a graphite rod blank has proven to be more sensitive and lighter than similar structure with the blank made from fiberglass.
It has been found, however, that sensitivity to a fish on the line is lost because the rod blank and handle are two separate parts connected at a joint through which vibrations must be transmitted. Secondly, the handles of present rods have cork, rubber or some type of dense foam material that serve to dampen sensitivity by absorbing vibrations rather than transmitting them through the handle to the hand of the angler.
In the casting rod described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,351 the rod blank is extended back through the handle body to increase the sensitivity as compared to rod blanks that fit into a hole in the forward end of the handle body.